Chapter Text
It wasn’t exactly unexpected, what happened after the joint practice with Samezuka.
Makoto had been acting a bit jumpy all week. Fidgety, even. Haru had asked him what was wrong several times, but had only received a variation on: “A-Ah! It’s nothing, Haru. Well it’s not nothing but that- Well it’s sort of- I’ll tell you later.”
Haru had a feeling that he knew what it was. Well, he suspected anyway. But his suspicions about what Makoto was feeling were right about 99.99% of the time. After all, he made sure to know everything about Makoto; a knowledge that filled him with a hidden sense of pride.
Haru sensed that he was going to find out what was going on that day. Makoto had gone off to talk with Rin just as practice ended and Haru took note of Makoto’s expression: slightly pale and he looked as if he might throw up. Rin, on the other hand, seemed to be offering him encouragement. He was grinning, teasingly at some points, but put his hand on Makoto’s shoulder as if to steady him and smiled reassuringly. Haru waited in the water, watching as Rin gave Makoto a hardy slap on the back as the taller one turned back towards the pool.
Once Makoto got to the edge he leaned down to offer a hand to Haru as always. Smiling, as always. Though this time his eyes seemed to shine with something Haru couldn’t quite place. “Haru, can I talk to you for a minute? After we change…”
After a rather quick change, Haru and Makoto stood facing each other next to Samezuka’s entrance, silent. It’s almost too quiet…Haruka thought to himself, suddenly realizing that the rest of the Iwatobi swim team was nowhere to be found.
Had they let Makoto and him go off by themselves on purpose?
“Haru.” Makoto’s gentle voice roused Haru from his thought and for some reason the tone of it, combined with Makoto’s expression, caused his heart to begin pounding.
Even though he had been expecting it, Haru felt an unbidden heat rise to his face and even on the tips of his ears.
“I like you, Haru.”
His voice was soft when he said it, but determined, and he looked at Haru with a nervous but unwavering expression. “I didn’t feel like I would be able to say it before, but now…”
Haru’s eyes widened and he felt his blush deepen, much to his dismay. He took a breath, shakier than he would have liked, as he struggled to get the words out from the back of his throat. “I--"
Why couldn’t he say it? Was he still this horrible at expressing his feelings? He couldn’t just say nothing, wouldn’t Makoto think that he was rejecting him?
Haru exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, looking to the side in frustration as he clenched and unclenched his fists. “I--…” He began again, feeling the urge to throttle whatever part of his brain that seemed to be stalling on that one word.
But it seemed as if Makoto understood. Whether it was the way his eyes shined at Makoto’s confession or how the blood had so quickly run to his face, Makoto understood what Haru was trying to say. Obviously emboldened, he took a step towards Haru so that they were only inches apart, placing his thumb and forefinger on the shorter teenager’s chin and tilting it up so that blue eyes were forced to meet green. Haru didn’t even have time to really react as Makoto leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on his lips, shifting his hand so that it was cupping the side of Haru’s face instead.
Inhaling sharply through his nose, Haru instinctively reached up to clench onto the fabric of Makoto’s Iwatobi Club jacket. He had only been without air for a few seconds, which is nothing to a swimmer, but he suddenly began to feel lightheaded and could distinctly hear the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. Haru kept his eyes open for a few seconds despite the fact that Makoto had closed his, wondering if he would be able to memorize the expression on his childhood friend’s face.
He eventually closed his eyes, though, leaning up slightly so that he could return the kiss better and desperately trying to bring in enough air through his nose so that he wouldn’t have to remove his mouth from Makoto’s.
Makoto might have sensed Haru’s breathing problems, or maybe he was having some of his own, since he pulled his lips away after a few more seconds but kept his hand resting on the other’s cheek. Haru took a quick gulp of air, painting (a bit too loudly for his taste, he could have sworn couples kissing in movies made this look a lot easier and graceful).
“Haru…”
The way Makoto said his name, his nickname, sounded almost unbearably intimate, even more so as he moved his hand to gently shift dark strands of hair out of his eyes. Haru had to look to the side, desperately trying to hide the vulnerability that he was feeling from showing through in his eyes.
But he knew that Makoto must have already seen it, as the brunette leaned in for another kiss.
“Wow, Mako-chan’s suave!”
They pulled apart at the sound of Nagisa’s voice, who was staring at them with an amazed expression.
“Nagisa-kun! The way you interrupted the moment like that was absolutely not beautiful.” Rei huffed, looking away from the two of them as he pushed up his glasses in a very flustered manner. Nagisa had obviously dragged him over against his will, if the way the blonde was holding onto his jacket was any indication.
“Sorry, Makoto.” Rin rubbed the back of his head, trying to his best to look annoyed, though that was hard to do with the way he was sheepishly grinning. “I could only distract these idiots for so long…”
Haruka stared at them, agape, and adding the emotions “flustered and extremely irritated” to the pile he was already having trouble sorting out at the moment. He glanced to Makoto, expecting to see his friend red-faced and sputtering for words. To his surprise, Makoto simply laughed. His cheeks were a bit red but he was smiling, obviously happy, relieved and…proud? “It’s all right. It’s easier than explaining it to you, isn’t it?”
He had to look away from the smile that threatened to blind him, but couldn’t seem to stop the sensation of his lips tugging upwards against his will.
xxx
The next day Haru woke up in a daze, feeling tempted to slip back into a peaceful sleep for just a few more minutes, until he remembered what had happened. With his index finger, he traced the outline of his lips, vividly remembering the feeling of Makoto’s lips, slightly chapped but still comfortable and soft, against his own.
Suddenly he was wide awake and practically jumped out of bed before running to the tub.
He remained submerged there for a while, wondering why the water didn’t seem to be doing its’ normal job of calming his mind in addition to his body.
Is it because I’m thinking about—
“Haru!”
He suddenly sat up, annoyed that the familiar sound of his name being called and the thumping of Makoto’s footsteps was sending such an unfamiliar jolt of nervousness through his body.
What’s wrong with me? It’s just Makoto, isn’t it?
“Good morning, Haru.” Makoto smiled, offering his hand as usual. Haru paused, staring up at him for a second before taking the hand and allowing himself to be pulled up as usual.
Suddenly he felt irritated that Makoto was acting as he would any other day, while he felt entirely off balance.
He climbed out of the tub but then stared at Makoto curiously, realizing that the brunette hadn’t let go of his hand and had a sort of gleam in his eye. He felt his heart speed up erratically.
“…Makoto?” He tried to sound casual.
Makoto looked to be considering something, then smiled. “Can I kiss you again?”
Haru’s eyes widened, shocked, before he quickly looked away to hide the redness in his face.
“Don’t ask if you already know the answer…” he mumbled, which caused Makoto to laugh in response.
“Ah, I see. You have to look at me first, though.”
Haru let out a frustrated sigh then glanced to Makoto, blush deepening as he became lost in the passion flaming in the taller teenager’s eyes.
When they kissed this time, Haru reached his free hand to wrap around Makoto’s neck as the other lowered his head down, not seeming to mind that Haru was dripping water all over his uniform.
They walked to school, wordlessly putting themselves closer to each other than normal as Makoto hooked his pinky finger around Haru’s.
Makoto’s confession had spurred a change in him. He had become even more confident, and his gentle kindness seemed to shine through then times more than usual. Haru noted how it would make his heart swell when he would see Makoto’s smile now, feeling the urge to wrap his arms around the other and kiss that smile for as long as he could.
Unfortunately, the peace in Haruka’s heart would soon be overwrought with an anxiety that he wasn’t used to experiencing. About a week after the confession, Haru realized that he wasn’t the only person that had noted Makoto’s change; the change that increased Makoto’s power to attract others to him with a stronger magnetism than ever before (if that was even possible).
Other people were noticing Makoto.